Marisa Baldacchino

My decision to embark upon the 2 year journey towards a Diploma in Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Innovation derives from an eternal craving for further personal development, versatility and reaching beyond my comfort zones. My world has always been the arts, theatre, movement and music, where I have taught dance, performing arts and fitness for several years, worked on radio hosting a daily show, and recorded numerous voiceovers for radio and television commercials. My ambitious nature has led me to gain several accomplishments allowing me to enjoy a long career as a teacher, performer and choreographer, however with maturity and age pressing in, the need to spin a safety net has led towards exploring beyond stage and studio. Creativity was the main aspect that encouraged me to enrol, however the introductory interview prepared me to step beyond. To be truthful, I must admit that it was not easy. Lectures are scheduled around work rosters. Time is always pressing and reaching deadlines requires motivation and discipline. However, the experienced team of lecturers ensure to deliver carefully planned lectures encouraging dialogue and participation. The modules presented feed information which when digested nurture skills which could then be applied as required. 'An Introduction to Creativity' and 'Psychology of Creativity' urge one to look up and beyond, moreover, 'A Toolkit for Thinking Out of the Box' encourages one to drop the shield and venture beyond structured boundaries. 'Critical Thinking' is indeed a powerful tool when applied on a personal as well as a professional level. 'An Introduction to Foresight' encourages careful planning to avoid pitfalls whenever possible.'An Introduction to Entrepreneurship' as well as 'Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Action' teaches the necessary skills and know-how towards bringing ideas to fruition. 'Funding Issues in Innovation and Entrepreneurship' deals with reality as well as survival, encouraging the dreamer to tread with caution. 'An Introduction to Intellectual Property' touches upon licencing issues while 'Creativity and Innovation in Digital Technologies' is most relevant in today’s workforce. 'A Culture for Creativity in Organisations' encourages effective management and leadership so crucial within a fierce competitive market.  Relating to my line of work, 'Creativity and Innovation in the Arts' sheds the spotlight upon this ambitious industry always struggling for recognition and survival. While introducing broad sources of information enriching the course of studies, 'Innovation and the Environment' tackles issues relevant towards a sustainable future. Furthermore, aiming to develop further practical sills, 'Academic Reading and Writing in English' as well 'Academic Research Methods, Tools and Proposal Writing' are tools one may apply throughout the course of studies and beyond. Considering the generous amount of knowledge shared, I can confidently state that my ability to successfully land as well as creatively work through various projects has escalated. I am currently working as a Dance Artist with Valletta 2018 Foundation assigned to mentally and physically challenged members of the community from Agenzija Sapport. Furthermore, I am looking forward to embarking upon another project, funded by the Arts Council mentoring a group of challenging yet sensitive teenagers. In addition, I have also launched an event organiser service ‘Star Events’, mainly targeted towards raising funds as well as awareness towards animal welfare.

Susan Bharwani

I decided to read for a Diploma in Creativity and Innovation on a part-time evening basis as I was highly intrigued in learning new methods of how to expand and broaden my mind beyond the norm. This course with its diverse subjects and course content has allowed me to better understand situations which may initially appear clear and simple to be seen in different perspectives and logic. Examples given during the different lectures allowed me to appreciate the varied ways and methods one can interpret particular scenarios or situations.

The course helped me better understand the extensive amount of possibilities one can adopt when looking for alternative options. This course helped me appreciate the importance of looking at situations in a holistic and unbiased perspective. Although this is very difficult and can take time to appreciate and adapt to, given the various subjects and different scenarios discussed throughout the course, this possibility is slowly slowly becoming a norm in my psych as I am learning with minimal effort (as compared to previously when it was highly improbable for me to understand this concept).

I highly recommend this course as it is an eye opener to how one can identify with certain issues and scenarios and also a great asset to one’s lifestyle and work routine. It has helped me personally to better analyse and evaluate different scenarios with an open mindset and unbiased perspective. I am very pleased that I have taken this decision although I am a full time and also part-time worker. The benefits this course has given me throughout my first year of my studies has helped me appreciate life for the benefits it brings with it in view of my different and more mature mindset.

Shirley Debono

David Xuereb

The content of the course was easy to understand, relevant to modern days and very suitable for anyone in full-time employment. The modular structure of the diploma is appealing because of the flexibility it offers in terms of lecture times and workload such as research and assignments. I very much enjoyed doing the assignments which were more oriented to current scenarios or problems the world is facing, making the task more challenging and interesting. The tutors were very professional in their delivery of the course.

They were helpful and accommodating and their advice and direction was invaluable. The course also helped me to reflect on practices that had been in place at my workplace and to identify improvements. It also helped in my personal life to enhance my thinking skills by thinking differently or from different perspectives. Several tools utilised throughout the course, make you engage in problem solving in a different and more organised manner. This skill could be easily extended to all sectors. I really enjoyed the course and I would have no hesitation in recommending the Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to anybody who has interest in this particular subject.